The Sapling Never Snaps
by Son Rhandi
Summary: Another Jaeger and Blocken, Jr. fic for you. Takes place after Jaeger loses his match against Scarface (Eskara). More father-son goodness.


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Disclaimer: Kinnikuman II flopped in Japan, but it's become so popular in the Western Hemisphere, Toei Animation has decided to produce at least 26 more episodes exclusively for western audiences, meaning there will be a second season of Ultimate Muscle. There **is** a God... Oh, yeah. I still don't own jack.

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The Sapling Never Snaps

By Son Rhandi 

In the heavy of winter, the old oak breaks, but the sapling never snaps. They also say the apple never falls far form the tree. He chuckled inwardly at all the arbor-related maxims and sighed. Jaeger pawed his hair with his good hand. He felt naked without his trademark helmet nestled atop his cranium. The medics restored the circulation to his right arm, but advised him to give it a rest for a while. He couldn't help feeling some semblance of disappointment from his loss to Scarface just hours before. Jaeger lifted his right hand, bandaged up and still a bit bluish. The Baron's red Rain could have saved him, if only he hadn't been so gullible...

A knock at the door brought him to attention. A turn of the handle and a person entered. His bangs blocked his total view, but he'd recognize that tattered coat anywhere. Jaeger smiled and opened his mouth to speak, then turned away, not sure what to call him.

"Just _Herr _Blocken for now," the older man answered his unspoken question. Jaeger gave a little nod. Blocken, Jr. pulled up a chair and sat at his bedside. "How's the arm?"

"Better. They say it'll be fine to use in a day or two."

"Hm. This is good." The older man reached out and lifted the portion of his hair over his son's eyes, staring into them for a moment before returning to a stationary position. "You need a haircut, boy," he said, smiling. "I feel as if I am talking to a Belgian sheepdog. I'll do it."

Blocken pulled Jaeger's sheet to cover his shoulders, tying comfortably around his neck. From there, he unsheathed a pair of scissors from his left breast pocket and proceeded to trim.

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Snip, snip snip...

"I'm sorry I attacked you."

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Snip, snip...

"Think nothing of it. You are forgiven."

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Snip, snip, snip...

"The Skull heirloom, it fell of somewhere after the match."

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Snip, snip...

"It's in safe hands. Don't worry."

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Snip, snip, snip...

"Why didn't you tell me... that you were my father?"

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Snip.

"Would it have changed anything?"

Jaeger lowered his head. "I don't know..."

"Then who's to say..?" He continued cutting. "The fact of the matter is, you'd have gotten the same degree of training even if you **did **havethat knowledge. It wouldn't have mattered."

"Hmm......"

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Snip, snip, snip, snip....

"Tell me about my mother."

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Snip.

"She was..." began Blocken. "...a very beautiful woman. I loved her very much. She died a months after you were born. She had a sort of cancer......" He trailed off. The young man decided not to probe any further and quietly resigned to his trim.

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Snip, snip, snip, snip, snip, snip....

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Snip.

"There. All done. Not quite as nice as I'd like but it came out okay considering I was using scissors." He took off his hat and wiped his brow, finding the hospital room temp to be a bit warm. He cut it as close as he could, that Blocken, Jr., nice and stiff and close to the scalp, leaving nary a stray hair to hand from his head. Jaeger ran a hand over his now stiff hair, bristling from the action. "Thank you, _mein Herr._"

"_Nein, nein,_ Jaeger. Your friend, the butcher, asked me to give this to you. It's the helmet he was wearing while watching your match. He figured it would make a good replacement for the time being."

That Germanic young man took the helmet and placed it in his lap, tapping its top with his index finger. "...Plastic... It's just a regular bike helmet painted green. Look. The paint is even flaking off..."

Blocken shrugged. "Shabbily made, I'll admit, but friend butcher certainly was resourceful, wouldn't you agree?"

Sighing, Jaeger slipped it on, a little small, but tolerable. "I'll wear this for now. I'll have a new one made at Hercules, when I return."

His patriarch's ears perked up. "Return? You don't think Scarface will win?"

"Scarface will be utterly defeated in four days' time. I'm convinced that Mantaro Kinnikuman can do anything." The young man smiled.

"Maybe." Blocken's face was kept a straight line. "Those Kinnikumen can exhibit remarkable feats when push comes to shove."

"Do you think I could come to earth to visit you sometime? I'd like for us to go fishing."

Blocken chuckled. "Well, that's really up to the heads of Hercules, but I'll put in a word or two, where needed. But you must promise me you'll push yourself harder and harder everyday. I don't want another Scarface fiasco..."

"_Ja, mein Herr._ That promise I'll be sure to keep."

Four days until the highly anticipated Mantaro/Scarface match, then. The young man prayed everyday for the Earth Team's victory... and some bait and tackle beside.


End file.
